What Is an Upper GI Endoscopy?
Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy (also known as Esophago, Gastro, Duodenoscopy or EGD) is a short procedure (approximately 30 minutes in duration) that an endoscopy specialist performs while a patient is under anesthesia in an outpatient setting. During the EGD procedure, a thin, flexible, fiber optic EGD scope with a camera is inserted via the patient’s throat to examine the inner lining of the throat, food pipe (Esophagus), stomach (Gastric) and the upper small intestine (Duodenum) and obtain tissue samples (biopsy).
The endoscopy gastroscopy does not typically cause discomfort for you as the patient as it is done under anesthesia.
After the procedure, we monitor you for about an hour until the anesthesia wears off, and then you are discharged from the facility. Initially, you may have some light bloating, and your throat can be sore for a couple days.
Why Is an Upper Endoscopy Performed?
An endoscopy can be performed to assess various conditions. You may also undergo an endoscopy before weight loss surgery or to analyze a prior operation.
An endoscopy may be used to evaluate symptoms and conditions such as:
- Heartburn
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Upper abdominal pain or discomfort
- Vomiting and/or nausea
- Swallowing problems (dysphagia, odynophagia)
- Anemia
- Certain nutritional deficiencies (e.g., iron, Vitamin B12, folic acid)
Endoscopy is also used to check for:
- Esophageal or stomach inflammation (esophagitis, gastritis)
- Gastric or duodenal ulcers
- Polyps
- Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding
- Hiatal hernia
- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection
This EGD test is also used for:
- Surveillance of pre-cancerous conditions such as Barrett’s esophagus
- Patient evaluation prior to bariatric surgery
- Analysis of patients with previous stomach surgery (prior weight loss surgery or anti-reflux surgery such as Nissen fundoplication)
- Dilation of areas of narrowing (strictures, stenosis) using an inflatable balloon (therapeutic endoscopy)
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Dr. Srikanth is an American Board of Surgery-certified surgeon and an experienced provider of endoscopy in Seattle. He is a long-standing member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES).
